Retired modular v Space Slug

pharmjod · June 2016

If you are going to predicate an entire thread on the discussion about which is more desirable to the community, SS or a retired modular and be bound to not ever mention or hint at the possible future value of said sets, well then it's a pretty short conversation. Once you get past the fact that there is no real comparison outside of scarcity it's a pretty clear decision. After all, the only thing valuable or desirable about the SS is the cardboard box with the LEGO logo on it. It's not even a particularly useful parts pack. That compared to a full fledged modular building, retired or otherwise? Not even really worth having a conversation about as likely all but the most rabid Star Wars collectors will say modular every time.

Phonebooth · June 2016

pharmjod said:
Phonebooth said:
pharmjod said:
What? This entire thread is an opinion thread. The OP is asking for opinions.
Nope. As soon as the discussion turned to investment, it became a speculation thread.

Speculating is just one way of saying this is my opinion... According to dictionary.com

Speculate:
verb (used without object), speculated, speculating.
1. to engage in thought or reflection; meditate (often followed by on,upon, or a clause).
2. to indulge in conjectural thought.
3. to engage in any business transaction involving considerable risk or thechance of large gains, especially to buy and sell commodities, stocks,etc., in the expectation of a quick or very large profit.

So it appears you just have a problem with the third definition of speculating where profit is concerned.

Yes, I do. As @Cheshirecat notes above, it is generally agreed that forum members that want to discuss Lego as a commodity and investment opportunity limit those conversations to the predictions thread. This was to limit the proliferation of speculation into other conversations and, perhaps more importantly, further escalation of the Little Timmy arguing on this forum.

So when comments like the below continue to creep into Collecting Threads, I take offense.

SumoLego said:

Dollar for dollar, I'd rather have a FB, but the resale potential of a SS may ultimately be much higher.

CCC said:

This is the problem with the SS as an investment. It is very simple to construct from cheap parts. The value is not in the bricks. It is the box that is valuable. The same could well be true of the Superman set, if they release that roof piece in a common set - the total price of the bricks will drop massively, which is usually accompanied by an increase in the price of the box / instructions to keep the set price at what it was.

TheLoneTensor · June 2016

No, it wasn't generally agreed in that way at all. In fact, there's been a great peace for what, 2 years, until you brought it back up.

DarthMorl · June 2016

My question was and still is which would you rather own?
If your reason for choosing one or the other is based on reselling value and that is the part of this varied hobby you enjoy then I believe it is fair enough to comment on that in this post. However I would like to encourage any further replies not to focus to heavily on which of the sets may or may not end up being worth the most.

CCC · June 2016

DarthMorl said:

My question was and still is which would you rather own?

I think I would prefer to own any 2200+ part set than any 161 part set.

Very few posts are about which may be worth the most in future. They are about where the financial value in the set is now. Why is this important? Because they are obviously very different sets. One is a large piece count lego set, the other is a small uncommon box with some lego parts. They are two very different things connected by one thing in common - their approximate financial value. And surely that is the reason you chose these two sets (following on from that proposed trade), as the value is roughly equal. So it makes sense to see where the value is tied up in each.

Chubbles · June 2016

Would anyone seriously say they'd rather have the slug if future value played no part in the equation?

natro220 · June 2016

I open and build all of my sets. So this would be an easy choice for me, any modular would be better than the SS.

Renny · June 2016

No contest, I'd take a retired modular any day of the week and twice on Sundays over that horrible looking Space Slug set.

Pitfall69 · June 2016

Future and present value will always be considered for any trade or otherwise. I just had a trade fall through because there was deliberation on what the future value of the HH and TH will be. The trade, at the time, was based on face value, but then it fell through because my trade partner felt that the trade should be based on future value and reneged.

sonatine01 · June 2016

I'd rather have the space slug myself. Sealed but not for resale, I just like the shiney box :-)

Pitfall69 · June 2016

Maybe the thread could be changed to "General Discussion about Fire Brigade v Space Slug" ;)

pharmjod · June 2016

I want to see counterfeiters start making exact copies of the packaging of expensive pieces like the SS and comic con exclusives, just to mess with people =)

piratemania7 · June 2016

Whats the space slug? Kidding. This is a FB hands down moment. Ahhhh the FB...my first modular foray! an empty wallet ever since....

Pitfall69 · June 2016

pharmjod said:

I want to see counterfeiters start making exact copies of the packaging of expensive pieces like the SS and comic con exclusives, just to mess with people =)

Bite your tongue!!!

GallardoLU · June 2016

the space slug is the 'Meg' of star wars exclusives. sure you kind of want it for completions sake but you don't want anyone to know you actually paid money for it :D

(side note, I wouldn't trade my built FB for a sealed SS)

DarthMorl · June 2016

Just for clarity The future value of a set has almost zero interest to me other than how much it might cost me to buy it once retired if I miss out while still on general sale. Since rediscovering Lego I have, in the main, started to collect Starwars sets(UCS and promotional minifig polybags) and modular buildings. Due to my late arrival back to Lego I will sadly never own a complete UCS theme and probably never a modular theme either as I can barley afford to keep up with current releases let alone going backwards for sets such as 10179 or 10182. So when a trade comes up such as the one being discussed I'm looking only at which set is "more" of a collectors item. To me this is likely to be the rarer of the 2 sets which in the case would surly mean the SS.

TheLoneTensor · June 2016

True that it may have zero interest to you, but it has incredible bearing on what you started this thread with. If it didn't, there's nothing else in the world that would bring it into the same breath as the FB.

CCC · June 2016

^^ You say you have a sealed FB and the thing that makes it a non-starter for you is the cost of shipping the FB overseas. So what would you do if there was a Space Slug in the UK that was available to trade for your sealed FB? I am fairly sure something could be arranged if it was just the international shipping costs putting you off. As you haven't answered your own question yet, time to put your FB where your mouth is ... :-)

cheshirecat · June 2016

^^ no, as said in the op the current value of them on Ebay is about the same now. That's why they're being considered not any possible future value. Given the majority of comments saying FB, number of parts etc etc it seems investment potential isn't particularly important to most of the commenters.

TheLoneTensor · June 2016

Nobody wrote anything close to "investment potential is important to most of the commenters," yet you put out a distinct point against it. That's kinda weird.

I commented on the fact that "future value" is what brought us here in the first place, and to discount it as part of the discussion is not really logical. The future value in a perspective from the point of when the ugly little slug was released. Like it or not, the value of today, being the future value relative from back then, has bearing on the very basis of this thread's existence.

Redbullgivesuwind · June 2016

This seems apt about this argument

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LL-8aTVl0Qc

samiam391 · June 2016

Renny said:

No contest, I'd take a retired modular any day of the week and twice on Sundays over that horrible looking Space Slug set.

The only thing that could possibly make it more ugly would be to include another Han Solo variant minifigure.

Exclusive! Han Solo minifigure covered in Space Slug goo!

Albeit, that's exactly what would drive us collectors mad to try and acquire it...

DarthMorl · June 2016

I never ment to give the impression that I would trade my FB for a SS but reading back my opening post I see it does come across that way.
For me the point i was trying to make was the advertised trade got me thinking which of the 2 sets I would pick if I could only have one. The rarer but much smaller and less enjoyable to build SS or the less rare but much more interesting build of the FB. That is why any future value TO ME is irrelevant.

Pitfall69 · June 2016

It must be a slow Friday ;)

SumoLego · June 2016

I see that this may be a tender subject, but I certainly was not aware of an prohibitions of discussing investment/resale potential when evaluating the relative 'value' of various sets.

I don't see why such a response, mine included, is invalid or inappropriate given the original question from the OP. Otherwise, I would slot this discussion into the inane "Should I Buy Set A or Set B" discussions that come and go.

CCC · June 2016

DarthMorl said:

So when a trade comes up such as the one being discussed I'm looking only at which set is "more" of a collectors item. To me this is likely to be the rarer of the 2 sets which in the case would surly mean the SS.

DarthMorl said:

I never ment to give the impression that I would trade my FB for a SS but reading back my opening post I see it does come across that way.
For me the point i was trying to make was the advertised trade got me thinking which of the 2 sets I would pick if I could only have one. The rarer but much smaller and less enjoyable to build SS or the less rare but much more interesting build of the FB. That is why any future value TO ME is irrelevant.

SumoLego · June 2016

Frankly, if future value is not a consideration, I wholeheartedly agree with @CCC, that there is no comparison. A 2k piece set as compared to a diminutive mini-build isn't inspiring of a spirited discussion.

"I like Star Wars!"

"I like Modulars!"

Last thought - unless acquisition cost is a factor, why does it matter if the modular in question is retired? I know why - because it costs more to buy. Which, ironically, is also the only reason we would discuss the Space Slug. It costs more to acquire.

I'm done. I should have just ignored this thread.

cheshirecat · June 2016

@SumoLego to be honest, and as I said, I also don't think there was anything egregious in this thread either, but it was clearly what phonebooth was alluding too as I'm sure some other posters are well aware. At the level in this case it didn't seem a problem and probably just another battle in the ongoing nonsense between two brickset members.

I think the last time it was an issue was with 41999 when some people were talking about scalping opportunities before it was even released. Which is probably more a discussion for a Lego investing site like brickpicker than a primarily lego fan/collecting site like brickset. This thread though seems perfectly right for brickset.

Back on topic, I really don't like the modulars but even I would choose a used FB over a sealed SS.

bluedragon · June 2016

Wow! Whatever the value of those two sets, one thing is certain: time is cheap around here :-)

piratemania7 · June 2016

^You got that right...

monstblitz · June 2016

I would just like to point out that in my trade offer in the marketplace forum that started all of this discussion, I stated I would trade SS + $$ for a retired modular, lest anyone think I'm trying to fleece anyone on a lopsided trade. I guess FB along with GE is one of the only retired modulars where the value might be close, but even that, if it were new and sealed I'd expect to have to trade the slug and some cash.

Retired modular v Space Slug

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